A friend of mine wrote a song, “Somebody’s Prayin’.”
Somebody’s prayin’, I can feel it. Somebody’s prayin’ for me. Mighty hands are guiding me, to protect me from what I can’t see. Lord, I believe, Lord I believe, somebody’s prayin’ for me. John G. Elliott
You might be surprised by who is praying for you right now.
The Spirit of God…
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26
Jesus said that He would send a “helper” in John 14:26.
The word in the Greek for “helper” is paraclete and in various translations is rendered counselor or comforter. Did you know that a significant role of the helper, counselor and comforter is to pray for you?
Every time that I ask a follower of Jesus about their praying, they express inadequacy. I talk to all levels of believers from beginning to heroic, and everyone describes their failure in answers as a lack of consistency and distractions. Wow, if almost all Christians consider themselves failures, what hope is there?
Fortunately, someone is praying! The Holy Spirit – who is not lacking and knows how to perfectly pray – is praying for you.
I have learned the most about prayer during extreme difficulties in my life. A sickness, a death, a house fire, a difficult mission trip, a financial crisis in ministry, and I think, “I wish I had prayed more.”
Guess what? Someone is praying without ceasing for me.
Understanding that the Spirit is praying for me allows an approach to prayer from grace rather than obligation. I know that I have an obligation to pray, but I fail consistently whenever I determine to upgrade my praying – success for a while, and then, well, I get busy with distractions.
The Spirit still prays. Understanding this, that the Spirit prays for me even when I fail in prayer, makes me want to pray!
I know that I should pray, and then I do not pray the way that I think that I should. But I know that the Spirit continues to pray even when I don’t. I am humbled, and my increased love of God for His faithfulness in my inadequacy makes me want to pray.
My “works” motivation becomes a “love” motivation – it is easier to work at prayer when motivated by love rather than fear.
The Spirit prays for me!
True grace motivates love. Understanding grace doesn’t release us from “works” or trying. We should pray. We should try to live better. We should try to eat only 2,000 calories a day. We should be, but we do not. That’s the flesh – we fall short.
The Spirit prays for me and for you!
Knowing that God forgives when we try to be good and fall, understanding that the Spirit prays when we forget to pray, knowing that we can’t get to heaven on our own, but Jesus died for us. In the frustration of our works, experiencing God’s grace allows us to love.
That love combined with the Spirit praying for you is the definition of “praying in the Spirit” taught in both Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20. In sync – the Spirit and you! The Spirit in grace and you responding in love.
The adventure begins. Mountains will be moved.
Ricky Skaggs singing John G. Elliott’s “Somebody’s Prayin’.” John Elliott is playing the piano…